My Five –year-old daughter, Ann had been ill with pneumonia for several days when our pediatrician ordered a chest X ray. Ann was unhappy about the prospect, so the doctor reassured her it would be just like having her picture taken and would not hurt. On the way over to radiology, my daughter told the doctor, ‘‘Well, all right I’II have the X ray but I’m not going to smile!’’**********

 

A friend introduced me to her daughter, a smartly dressed woman with the manner of a professional person. I learned that she was a Roman Catholic nun on vacation from her position as an educational administrator. We agreed that her life-style as a nun was vastly different from what it would have been in earlier days.

‘‘Sister,’’ I said, half in jest, ‘‘who knows what changes are yet to come. Why, some future pope may decide to allow nuns to marry!’’

‘‘perhaps,’’ came the reply, ‘‘Perhaps she will.’’ *************

 

For several weeks my husband had had trouble getting to sleep at night l read some articles on relaxation techniques and decided to try one on him. As he get into bed I said softly, ‘‘Imagine that you are sitting on your favorite fishing bank. The sun is warm and a breeze is stirring. Your cork is bobbing up and down, up and down on the water.’ His eyes closed. Just when I thought I had succeeded, he sat bolt upright in bed.

‘‘But I don’t fish with a cork,’’ he said. **************